To Protect
by Kikireed
Summary: What would you do to protect those you love? Sesshomaru is forced to make a sacrifice to protect the woman he loves, but will fate correct itself and allow them happiness? ONESHOT Note: my first oneshot rated M for suicidal thoughts


**To Protect**

**A/N:** ok so normally I write chapter stories and **NOT** one-shots. Not that there's a problem with one-shots, I just hate that the story is over most of the time. So anywho to any of you wondering **WHY** I'm writing a one-shot instead is because I am in the process of moving and all my other stories are stored on my haulking desktop computer that I have absolutely no way to get to and no way to set it up soooo don't flame me cuz I can't guarantee anything and if you review please please please try to email me at because I can actually check my email on my iPod at school. Unfortunately my school must be... never mind I'm rambling but anyway, don't flame! Please review this story!

P.S. I thought I should warn you Sesshomaru and Kagome are a little out of character, same with Inuyasha.

Description: Kagome's been abandoned by her fiance, Sesshomaru. He left her to be with a woman named Kagura, however when Kagome finally decides that she's tired of living, new information comes to light. Will this change everything?

"Hn. You are this Sesshomaru's, I will not leave, for I have no need to." Sesshomaru Taisho murmured to his fiance, Kagome Higurashi.

"Thank you, Sesshomaru." Kagome replied, leaning up, she lightly kissed him on the lips, surprising both of them. After all, they'd never kissed on the lips before.

"Hn." Sesshomaru said, secretly pleased with the kiss. "Walk me to the door, I must return home. I have a meeting with my father."

"Hai!" Kagome replied, grabbing his arm and dragging him along behind her, smiling the whole way. 'My first kiss!' she mentally screamed

-oOo-

"Sesshomaru, I'm sorry. You have to cancel the engagement with Kagome. Naraku's daughter has been found. You know you have an arranged marriage with Kagura." Toga Taisho sadly apologized to his oldest son.

"This Sesshomaru will not. I will marry Kagome and no other." Sesshomaru growled, the ice in his voice practically visible.

"Sesshomaru, I can't let you inherit the company if you don't. And if you refuse, Naraku will target Kagome. He will hurt her, maybe kill her, Sesshomaru. Do you really want to risk her?" Toga argued gently. If only there was a way to protect Kagome from Naraku, then he wouldn't have even asked Sesshomaru, he would have immediately told Naraku no.

Sesshomaru stared at his father for a couple of minutes. Even though he never told her, he cared for Kagome. Him and Kagome had been friends since childhood. He'd gotten bored one day and ran away to a park to play there he met her crying on the swings because she'd gotten lost and couldn't find her way back to her family's shrine. He'd stayed with her and played until his stricken parents finally found him. They then helped Kagome find her way home and they'd been friends since. Hardly going a day without seeing the other.

Sesshomaru knew that he couldn't tell her the real reason he would be breaking off their engagement. If he said he was doing it to protect him she would refuse to let him and even he had to admit that her temper was a terrifying thing indeed. But if he told her it was so he could inherit his father's company and follow through with an arranged marriage that he'd 'conveniently' forgotten to mention, she'd be broken. 'Better broken than dead.' He thought to himself.

"Fine. Tell them that this Sesshomaru will agree, however, wait until tomorrow to announce it to the press. I will personally talk to Kagome." Sesshomaru agreed.

"I'm sorry Sesshomaru. We will to see to Kagome's well-being so that she will never know it." Toga apologized once again, watching as Sesshomaru stood and left his office.

-oOo-

"Damn it, Sesshomaru! Are you saying that you choose a company over me? I trusted you! I- I loved you!" Kagome screamed, tears running down her cheeks.

"Be quiet woman!" Sesshomaru shouted finally losing his control he punched the wall, easily denting the plaster. He really hadn't expected her to say that she loved him. It wasn't something they had talked about often and to have her say it now hurt him even worse for having to do this. "It is for the best!"

"Fuck you, Sesshomaru. I hope you're happy with your _wife_ Now leave! I no longer want you in my home or my life." Kagome said, turning away from him and flinching when she heard the front door slam shut. Turning around she stared at her empty entrance hall, and slumped to the floor. She simply sat there for who knows how long and stared at the wall across from her where Sesshomaru had punched it. Obviously he'd already forgotten that he promised to stay with her.

_And the plaster dented from his fist_

_In the wall where you had you're first kiss_

_Reminds you that memories will fade_

-oOo-

Sesshomaru came back the next day to get the things he kept at her apartment. And seeing her now he wished he hadn't. She was the woman he loved. Yes, loved. She was as proud as he was and here she was now, begging him not to go.

"Please Sesshomaru! I love you! I thought you cared for me why are you doing this now. We were going to be happy. I was finally going to have a family. Kagome cried. The tears running down her face and soaking her shirt.

"It is for the best. Now goodbye. I expect you to stay away from me and my family. Goodbye Higurashi Kagome."

-oOo-

Kagome watched as her ex-fiance, her ex-friend, left, and simply watched the floor. Telling her not to have anything to do with his family just made it all the worse. She had no family to speak of, except for them. No friends to speak of that weren't related to him. So now, essentially, she was alone. She had no one.

_I begged you not to go_

_I begged you, I pleaded_

_I claimed you as my only hope_

_And watched the floor as you retreated_

-oOo-

Sesshomaru came back the next day to gather his things that he kept there. And seeing her now, he wished he hadn't. She was the woman he loved, yes, loved. She was as proud as he was and now she was begging him not to go.

"Please Sesshomaru! Whatever I did, I'm sorry! I love you! I though you cared for me why are you doing this now? We were going to be happy together! I was going to have a family again." Kagome cried. The tears running down her face and soaking her shirt.

"It is for the best. Now let me leave. I expect you to stay away from my family and I. We want nothing to do with you. Goodbye Higurashi Kagome." Sesshomaru chocked out. To here her say that she loved him and to say those hurtful words to her, was the hardest thing he ever had to do.

-oOo-

Kagome watched as her ex-fiance, ex-best friend, left and simply stared at the floor. She had been mistreated by her family her whole life and just a few years ago they died in a car crash leaving her the Higurashi Shrine, luckily she'd had Sesshomaru there for her during her childhood. His family, had become her family. Telling her not to have anything to do with them just made it all worse. She had no family to speak of, except for them. No friends to speak of that weren't related to him. So now she was essentially alone.

_I begged you not to go_

_I begged you, I pleaded_

_I claimed you as my only hope_

_And watched the floor as you retreated_

-oOo-

_'It's ok Kagome. It'll get better one day. I'm sorry but it is probably for the best. Don't worry he said you were strong and would survive without us. Don't text again though okay? Bye.' _

Kagome couldn't believe what she was reading. Inuyasha couldn't have sent this, could he? After Sesshomaru had left, Kagome just collapsed. She sobbed. She screamed. Se basically lost it, and to make matters worse, when she finally calmed down and turned on the news, it was announcement of Sesshomaru's engagement to Naraku's daughter, Kagura. So she'd gone to bed, hoping to lose herself in the oblivion of sleep. And then when she wakes up she had this message from Inuyasha. For Inuyasha to agree with his brother was a miracle in itself but to say goodbye? Like that? It was too much. She wasn't strong, would she even survive this?

_Baby, I'm not that strong_

_I'm walking this world wounded and all alone._

-oOo-

_3 Years Later_

"Aghhhhhhhhh!" Kagome screamed as she sat up in bed. Ever since Sesshomaru left her 3 years before, she'd had nightmares every night. It had become a ritual. She'd wake up screaming every morning at about 5 and fall asleep crying every night. She had no friends., only acquaintances, like the people that she hired to help her work on the shrine grounds. She hadn't talked to anyone she'd been friends with before the breakup. To be honest she was terrified that she would die alone, but she didn't want to get close to anyone again. It hurt too much. To make matters worse, she couldn't help but watch the news about Sesshomaru and his wife, Kagura. They had a daughter, Rin. She was only 3 and adorable, she was Sesshomaru's daughter after all. Sighing, Kagome got up and got ready for another day.

_If these wall could talk_

_You'd know about my fears_

_About all the nights I screamed for help_

_About all my fallen tears_

_You'd know about the demons_

_Haunting me at night_

_You'd be able to help me _

_Keep my fire alight_

_If these walls could talk_

-oOo-

Sesshomaru was nervous. He was finally divorcing Kagura. He'd kept it out of the press, but it was done. It would be announced next week. He had gained custody of Rin and Kagura was parting with him on good terms. She was in love with another man, some Bankotsu fellow that worked in her father's company. Now if only it were that easy for him and Kagome. He still loved her and was on his way to his father's now. Toga Taisho had kept updated constantly about Kagome while Sesshomaru had stayed away from it so as not to intrude into her life too much.

Walking into his father's home office, Sesshomaru smiled at the sight that greeted him. His mother was playing with Rin and his father was watching the two with a grin plastered on his face. His brother, Inuyasha was grinning as well and sent a smirk to him.

"Mother, would you mind getting Rin some food? I must discuss something with father." Sesshomaru said quietly so as not to surprise them.

"Daddy!" Rin screamed as she ran at him and attached her 3-year-old body to his leg in a surprisingly strong hug.

"Rin, go with your grandmother. Thank you mother," Sesshomaru said. He gently patted Rin on the head before giving her a gentle push towards his mother.

Waiting until both females had left the room, Sesshomaru turned to face his father. His heart almost stopped when he saw the grave look on his father's face. Swallowing around the lump in his throat, "How is she?"

"That depends," Toga replied, sighing, "Do you mean mentally or physically."

"What father means, Sesshomaru is that physically, she's lost some weight, probably from not eating much and looks tired constantly. Other than that? She's fine physically. Mentally however, she is degrading. None of us realized, that by removing ourselves from her life would hurt her this much. When you told her to stay away from our family to protect her, you were also forcing her from her friends. She had no friends outside of our family, in fact, she has no friends at all now. She wakes up screaming every night. If you are going to get her back Sesshomaru, do it soon. Unless something changes, I honestly don't think she'll last much longer." Inuyasha said. Sesshomaru and him used to hate each other but, seeing Sesshomaru sacrifice his happiness to protect Kagome made him see things in a different light.

"One month. I will wait one more month to go to her. I need everything with Kagura to be done." Sesshomaru replied before turning and leaving.

-oOo-

Kagome stared in shock at the news. Sesshomaru was getting divorced. Oh the irony of it. Kagome had finally decided to leave it all behind. She didn't want to live anymore and just as she was prepared, this happens? It's not like it matters anyway, he didn't care for her, it was obvious now. All the same, she'd wait until the end of the month, and then, she'd end her life. After all she could see the world for what it really is.

_If time would stop for one second_

_We would see the world for what it is_

_A sad, sorry, broken excuse of a lie_

_Could anyone possibly enjoy this?_

-oOo-

Kagome gazed at the man on her doorstep in surprise. She'd never expected to see him again. "Sesshomaru?" she managed to gasp out.

"Kagome. I was wondering if we could talk." Sesshomaru replied, shocked by her appearance. Her long black hair was limp, her skin pale. There were dark bruises under her eyes and she was thin, too thin. It was obvious she hadn't been eating much.

"I don't want to talk to you, Sesshomaru." Kagome replied, sighing. He probably felt bad or something. Or maybe he just wanted to use her? Well she wouldn't let him.

"Kagome, please, there's things you don't understand. I will explain." Sesshomaru replied, desperate. Rin had softened him, he knew, but he didn't care. He just wanted to take Kagome in his arms and make everything better.

"NO!" Kagome screamed. "Because of you I'm afraid to sleep! I broke! And you... you promised... but you lied!" Slamming the door in his face, she locked it and marched up to her room.

_I said I feared my dreams_

_It was easier than it seems_

_You said you'd never let me fall_

_From hopes so high_

_But never was a promise_

_And you couldn't afford to lie_

-oOo-

Sesshomaru had a bad feeling. He HAD to get in there. If he could remember where they spare key was kept, he could.

_**15 minutes Later**_

"There." Sesshomaru growled out, finally spotting the key lodged between two tree branches in the sacred tree that was located on the shrine grounds. Reaching up, he pulled it out. He had to talk to her.

-oOo-

The minute Kagome made it to her room she grabbed the sleeping pills and razorblade. Swallowing all 20 pills in one gulp, Kagome slowly rolled up her sleeve. It was finally time to end this.

-oOo-

When Sesshomaru opened the front door, it was dead quiet, not bothering to even shut the door, he followed his instincts and dashed up the stairs. Running into Kagome's room, he almost broke down at the sight before him.

Kagome was laying on the floor, a pool of her own blood forming under her, pouring out from her wrist. In one hand she held a razorblade, the other had a grasp on an empty bottle of sleeping pills. Running to her side, Sesshomaru scooped her up into his arms, ran down the stairs, out the door, and to his car. Once she was situated in the front seat, he hopped in and sped off towards the hospital.

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome weakly muttered as she looked up at him from hooded azul eyes.

"Don't talk, you'll waste energy. I'm taking you to the hospital." Sesshomaru bit out, swerving through traffic. He was almost there.

"Why? You don't care about me. I have no family, no friends, I have nothing. You should just let me go. You obviously can find somebody else." Kagome panted. It was getting harder to breathe.

"No! I love you! If I had turned Kagura down, her father would've found out about you and killed you! Do you hear me woman? I love you! I stayed away to protect you!" Sesshomaru shouted at her as he finally screeched to a halt in front of the hospital. Jumping out her grabbed her from the car and ran inside.

"What?" Kagome gasped. "You jerk! And-" Kagome panted, "I love you too."

Sesshomaru almost stopped in surprise at that but he knew he couldn't. He gently set her down on a gurney and watched as the doctors and nurses wheeled her away.

-oOo-

Kagome sank blissfully in the dark, holding onto a wisp of light so she wouldn't get lost in it, she just wanted to think. She should have suspected Sesshomaru to marry Kagura to protect her. After all, it was something he was known for; going to the extreme to protect her. Naraku was famous for his ability to get almost anything he wanted, there always seemed to be a string of deaths followed in his wake but there was no proof to link to him, ever. So the question was, should she take Sesshomaru back? He admitted his love for her, but it'd been 3 years and he had a daughter.

Yes, she decided. She would let him back in her life, but he'd have to earn her trust again. Looking up, she followed the golden-silver thread with her eyes, smiling slightly, she walked towards the end.

-oOo-

A haggard Sesshomaru sat at Kagome's bedside. It'd been a week since she'd been brought out of ICU, and she still hadn't woken up. He had barely left her side in all that time. His parents had stopped by and they were watching Rin. Inuyasha had visited. So had all her old friends, Sango, Miroku, Kilala, Kaede, Hojo, Hiten, all of them. He just couldn't wait for her to wake up.

-oOo-

Kagome opened her eyes and glanced around. She was obviously in the hospital and there was Sesshomaru. His back was to her and he was staring out the window, muttering to himself. Something about "wake up soon." he probably hadn't left her side yet.

"Sesshomaru." Kagome said hoarsely. Smirking at how he flew around and his golden eyes widening at seeing her with her eyes open.

Putting her arms beside her, she tried to sit up but winced at the pain that coursed through them, probably stemming from the wrist she'd cut.

"Kagome." Sesshomaru all but sighed in relief, then noticing her wincing he rushed to her side and helped her up gently. "Don't try to sit up by yourself. If you EVER do that again, I'll kill you myself!"

Kagome smirked at him. He really did care about her and that made her happy beyond belief, he wouldn't act this way if he didn't, she knew.

"Kagome, I-" Sesshomaru slowly started, not sure how to say it, but he was interrupted by Kagome before he could finish.

"Stop, Sesshomaru. I forgive you. I love you and you were just trying to protect me. But it can't start right where it left off. It's been 3 years and you have a daughter, but if you still want to, we can try to start over." Kagome said, lowering her eyes and blushing slightly.

Sesshomaru stared at the woman before him in awe and surprise, and finally reached over and hugged her hard to his chest. "Hai, let's."

-oOo-

_**7 years later**_

"Daaaaaaaaaaad!" A ten-year old Rin yelled. "Tell Kagome-mama not to tickle Rin! And tell Shippo-chan not to chase me!"

Sesshomaru sighed and looked up from the newspaper he was reading as his family came running into the front room. His daughter, Rin was so much bigger and his adopted son Shippo was a 'shrimp' as Kagome liked to tease him. "Kagome you really shouldn't chase them." He stared at his beautiful wife.

"Hai, Sesshomaru, I won't hurt the baby." Kagome replied, smirking as he laid his hand on her swollen belly.

"Hn." Sesshomaru smugly replied. Kagome was 9 months pregnant and due any day now.

"Hey!" Kagome gasped suddenly. "I hope you have names picked out!"

"And why would this Sesshomaru not have names picked out. What caused you to believe that I didn't."

"Just checking. Oh and Sesshomaru?" Kagome replied, smirking evilly in a way that made Sesshomaru's skin crawl.

"Yes?" Sesshomaru replied hesitantly, giving her a hard stare.

"The baby's coming!" Kagome screamed and laughed when Sesshomaru scooped her up and dashed to the car, forgetting about the other children.

**~!END!~**

A/N: Thank you for reading and if any of you chose to review, as I said in the beginning, please send it to that email address. If you do not get a reply within a day you can also try at: Thank you again and I really appreciate any support.


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